Careers

In order to deliver the high-quality legal services for which we are known, Harneys requires exceptional people.

We recruit and retain experienced top-tier lawyers and other professionals from around the world to be part of our rapidly expanding international legal practice. We are always seeking exceptional legal or professional candidates who share our commitment to excellence and dedication to providing high-quality, reliable and expert service to our clients. Harneys enjoys an excellent reputation as a leading international offshore law firm. Our lawyers enjoy high-quality work, including major cross border transactions that involve the world’s top law firms, banks, and financial institutions.

Harneys is strictly an equal opportunities employer and we recognise the benefits of diversity.

Development Programmes, Internships and Scholarships

In addition to positions for experienced lawyers and professionals Harneys is committed to providing opportunities to lawyers and talented individuals beginning their careers. We are committed to fostering the growth of our people and offer training and development opportunities that are unparalleled in the offshore world. Our junior lawyers are our future.

We have additional internship offerings in the larger jurisdictions whose laws we practice, BVI, Cayman and Cyprus, including scholarships and fiduciary training programmes. The firm also provides internship opportunities for students at various stages of their academic careers.

Contact recruit@harneys.com with any questions you may have about starting your career with us.

Programmes for Newly Qualified Lawyers

British Virgin Islands

Professional Development Programme

Harneys’ Professional Development Programme was established in 2000 and is the only legal training programme of its kind in the British Virgin Islands. The programme is modelled after the English system of training contracts. Since inception, the programme has developed almost 30 newly-qualified lawyers, with several of its graduates having become partners at Harneys and other law firms in the territory.

In addition to the practical experience gained through rotations, the Professional Development Programme also entails mentorship and in-house training designed to help newly qualified lawyers develop the legal skills, commercial awareness, and business, finance and management skills essential to a successful legal career.

Application requirements:

CV and cover letter

Applicants should hold a minimum of a 2:1 or equivalent in the Bachelors of Law degree or Graduate Diploma in Law

Applicants should have completed all the requirements for admission to the Bar

Cayman Islands

Articled Clerks

Harneys offers a structured training programme, through which our articled clerks have the opportunity to work with leading offshore practitioners not only in the Cayman Islands but throughout our global network.

Our Articled Clerk programme commences in September every year and lasts 18 months. During this time our articled clerks undertake seats of between two and six months each in each of litigation, banking and finance, investment funds and private wealth.

Each Articled Clerk is assigned a mentor who provides them with support and guidance throughout their articles, as well as a supervisor for each seat.

As a firm, we are committed to training and development and our articled clerks have access to the comprehensive training offered to all our attorneys. We regularly offer training not only on technical aspects of the law but also on “soft skills”, such as presentation and networking skills, and commercial issues that are relevant to practising in Cayman and in the broader offshore context.

Upon successful completion of Articles, our articled clerks are admitted by the Court as attorneys.

How to apply:

CV and cover letter

Applicants should hold a minimum of a 2:1 or equivalent in the Bachelors of Law degree or Graduate Diploma in Law

Proof of Caymanian status

Application deadline: by 28 February for articles commencing in September

We recruit on a rolling basis, so it’s best to submit your application as soon as possible, but the absolute deadline is 28 February for articles commencing in September the same year.

Due to immigration restrictions, our articled clerk training programme is only available to Caymanians.

Subject line of the email must be: Articled Clerk application – Applicant Name

Internships and Scholarships

Cayman

Legal Scholarships

Harneys awards legal scholarships to bright and ambitious Caymanian students to enable them to pursue legal studies in Cayman or overseas. This includes law degrees, post-graduate conversion courses and post-graduate qualifying courses such as the Professional Practice Course, the Legal Practice Course and the Bar Professional Training Course. The global reach of the scheme reflects the global reach of the firm.

For the duration of their scholarship, Harneys’ sponsored students are given the opportunity to intern with the firm, gaining valuable insight into the practice in a leading global offshore firm. This may include the opportunity to intern both in our Cayman office and our overseas offices, including our industry-leading offices in London and Asia.

Following successful completion of their studies, Harneys’ scholarship students have the opportunity to undertake their Articles (see above) and qualify as attorneys with the Firm.

Subject line of the email must be: Scholarship application – Applicant Name

BVI, Cayman, Cyprus

Legal Internships

Harneys offers legal internships to students who are currently enrolled in secondary education or in a university or postgraduate-level law course. We are committed to searching for exceptional individuals who wish to gain first-hand experience of practice in a leading global offshore firm.

Placements are offered either in the summer (between May and August) or in December and January, and typically last between one and four weeks.

Interns will be placed either in one of our core practice areas in the law firm (transactional, litigation or private wealth), or in our fiduciary services business, Harneys Fiduciary. Our leading attorneys and other professionals will provide them with an introduction to their practice area, including not only an introduction to the law but also the practical application of how to think, write and operate efficiently in a professional environment. At Harneys, our lawyers and professionals never lose sight of the fact that during their career, people invested in them. It is now our turn to continue that important education.

Application requirements:

CV and cover letter

Application deadline: by 31 March for summer internships and 30 September for winter internships.

Placements are offered either in the summer (between May and August) or in December and January, and typically last between one and four weeks.

BVI, Cayman

Business Services Internships

In addition to our legal internships, we also offer business services internships to BVI Islanders and Caymanians aged 16 and over who wish to gain experience of working in a global offshore law firm. Our operational internships provide opportunities for participants to gain insight into our business services areas such as Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Information Technology and Operations.

How to apply:

CV and cover letter specifying their areas of interest

Proof of BVI or Caymanian citizenship

BVI, Cayman

Fiduciary Services Development Programme

Our fiduciary services development programme, offered by our fiduciary services business, Harneys Fiduciary, is a four-year programme open to high school or college level graduates wishing to gain practical experience and knowledge within fiduciary services.

Participants in this programme have the opportunity to attain a postgraduate certification from ICSA, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. The ICSA post-graduate qualification is an internationally recognized broad-based qualification that covers the corporate law framework within which businesses operate, corporate governance obligations, the company secretarial function and financial management and accounting.

How to apply:

CV and cover letter

Proof of BVI or Caymanian citizenship

Application deadline: by 30 April to join the programme commencing in September of any given year.

For further updates on any of our professional development programmes, follow us on social media.